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Life is filled with Beautiful Encounters. We unexpectedly experience people, thoughts, and circumstances that shape, and mold us. I’d like to propose that every encounter, seemingly pleasant or unpleasant, is in essence beautiful.

1.18.2017

Self Care

Photo By: Lisa Fotios

You can't pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.- Unknown

For the last 6 months, I have struggled with the idea of self-care.
My mind and heart were constantly reminding me that I needed to do everything
in my power to put my husband, Jaxen, and the home first. The idea of wanting a
5-minute break to just scroll on Instagram seemed selfish to me. Wanting an hour to blog, or work on projects made me
feel terrible!

How dare I want time
to myself.

I mean I was blessed with this amazing baby boy, home, and
husband. Why am I finding myself not wanting to dedicate every second of my day
to them? Am I becoming self-absorbed?
Maybe I’m being selfish.

These are the thoughts that followed the little nudge to
just take some time to relax.

To be completely transparent, I was becoming tired. I felt worn out, and drained.
The joyful, peaceful Jo was becoming an old grumpy hag. I found myself being extremely
irritable, and just downright unhappy.

What was missing? What
was going wrong?

Self Care

Let’s break that down;

Self: a person's
essential being that distinguishes them from others, especially considered as
the object of introspection or reflexive action.

Care: the
provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and
protection of someone or something.

So, self-care can be defined as providing what is necessary
for the health, welfare, and protection of a person’s essential being.

I realized that in order for Jaxen, and Marquise to be happy,
and for our home to function, I needed to be in a good space. I mean come on, it’s
a well-known fact that your babies can feel your emotions, and react to them.

It was time to kiss the guilt goodbye, and take
care of myself. Something as simple as taking a bath for more than five
minutes, going to the coffee shop with friends, or even painting my nails, really
lifted my spirits.

I realized that I needed to do everything necessary to
maintain the health and welfare of my body,
mind, and spirit.

& ladies and gentlemen, I am feeling my BEST.

So, I encourage you all to take care of yourselves. It is not
selfish to take a minute to breath in, and out. It is actually selfish to carry
on through life not taking care of yourself.

How can we be happy and healthy parents, wives, husbands, friends,
if we aren’t happy with ourselves? Take some time today to inhale, and exhale.